This invention is directed to connectors and, more particularly, to connectors suitable for making connections to the terminals of plug-in devices and the sockets into which such devices are normally plugged.
In certain environments it is necessary to make connections to the terminals of plug-in devices, such as tubes or relays, and the sockets into which such devices are normally plugged. For example, in order to convert an originating register, such as the #5 Crossbar Originating Register of a Telephone Central Office, into a form suitable for receiving information in DTMF (dual tone multifrequency) form, as well as rotary dial form, in a manner that does not interfere with the normal operation of the originating register or related test circuitry, it is necessary to make contact with the terminals of the line (L) relay of the originating register and its socket. As will be readily understood by those familiar with this and other originating registers, the L-relay is the relay that controls dial pulse counting. More specifically, as more fully described in a companion patent application Ser. No. 848,823, entitled "Solid State Pulsing Circuit for Pulsing Selected Line Relay Contacts" by Ray Ma, filed concurrently herewith on Nov. 7, 1977, in the #5 Crossbar Originating Register, it is necessary to connect the outputs of a pulsing circuit directly to selected terminals of the L-relay and to selected terminals of the L-relay socket in a series/parallel manner. The pulsing circuit is actuated by the output of a DTMF receiver (tone-to-pulse converter) and the selected connections are those that operate the dial pulse counting system of the originating register, specifically the pulse counter and the register advance relay. Selected connections (as opposed to connections to all terminals) are necessary in order for the originating register to be operated in a manner that does not disrupt the operation of related test equipment and in a manner that does not create any undesirable audio signals on the related telephone line.
In order for the required serial/parallel connections to be made to only selected terminals of the L-relay and its socket, it is desirable to insert an adapter connector between the L-relay and its socket. One proposed connector is "donut" shaped. One side of the connector comprises a connector plug adapted to fit into the L-relay socket. The other side of the connector comprises a connector socket suitable for receiving an L-relay. The connector plug and socket are axially aligned. The problem with this connector is that it "raises" the L-relay from the L-relay socket by an unacceptable amount. More specifically, a donut connector, while allowing the proper connections to be made to the terminals of an L-relay and its socket "raises" the L-relay by an amount that prevents it from being inserted into the donut connector after the donut connector is inserted into the L-relay socket in at least some originating registers, such as a #5 Crossbar Originating Register. The insertion difficulty is caused by equipment mounted in the frame of the #5 Crossbar Originating Register above the L-relay.
Tilting the L-relay outward sufficiently to provide the necessary clearance for the insertion of the L-relay is also an unacceptable solution because the L-relay must be oriented substantially vertically in order for it to operate satisfactorily. (In this regard, it is pointed out that an L-relay is a mercury relay.)
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an adapter connector suitable for connecting a plug-in device, such as an L-relay, to its socket in a manner that allows external connections to be made to selected terminals of the plug-in device and its socket.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an offset adapter connector.
It is another object of this invention to provide an adapter connector suitable for allowing connections to be made to selected terminals of a plug-in device, such as an L-relay, and its socket, in a manner that does not change the orientation of the plug-in device.